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University chooses not to sign NCAA diversity in hiring pledge

Notre Dame is one of two Division I Universities who has not signed the NCAA’s “Presidential Pledge” on diversity in hiring, The Washington Post reported Monday. Boston College is the other school yet to sign.

The pledge’s stated goal is, “establishing initiatives for achieving ethnic and racial diversity, gender equity and inclusion, with a focus and emphasis on hiring practices in intercollegiate athletics, to reflect the diversity of our membership and our nation.”

University spokesperson Paul Browne said in an email statement to The Washington Post that the University already practiced diverse hiring, and adopting the pledge was therefore not necessary.

“[University President Fr. John Jenkins] feels strongly that principals of such importance should be authored and pronounced by Notre Dame itself and applied University-wide, and not as the product of an association focused exclusively on collegiate athletics,” Browne said in the statement.

Browne said diversity at Notre Dame is not currently where the administration would like.

“The diversity of our current administrative team is not where we want it to be, and that’s being addressed soon,” Browne said in the statement. “ … Notre Dame is proud of helping advance the careers of some prominent African-American athletics administrators who are now serving at other universities.”